At the border of the Land of Rain.
Beneath a collapsed rocky slope, a six-member squad of Cloud Ninja was struggling to regroup.
Several chunin were covered in lacerations, their forehead protectors scratched by rubble, their Chakra appearing fragmented.
"Lady Riki!"
A cry filled with urgency and fear rang out.
The wind abruptly stilled.
A figure emerged from the thick fog.
She wore a black cloak, her steps steady and heavy.
Beneath the cloak, a sleeve of blue ninja attire was visible, the Cloud Ninja Amulet at her waist swaying slightly in the rain.
Her black hair was soaked and clung to her cheeks, accentuating her cold, sharp green eyes.
This was the Cloud Village's Two-Tailed Jinchuriki, Riki.
"Lady Riki!"
The injured ninja quickly dropped to one knee, their expressions filled with apprehension.
Riki's gaze swept over them.
It was clear she hadn't been aware of the Cloud Ninja's invasion of the Breeding House initially.
It wasn't until the Raikage's letter reached her—while she was on another mission nearby—that she learned a Cloud squad had entered the Land of Rain.
The mission had ended in complete failure.
Now she was here to clean up the mess.
Without a word, she knelt to examine the fallen wounded, her fingertips lightly touching their pulses.
Instantly, a faint Chakra Wave transmitted into her body.
Her brow furrowed.
"Chakra... being absorbed?"
She raised her hand, the flowing Cloud Lightning Chakra in her palm instantly disrupted, as if pulled by an invisible force.
"You said it was Wood Release?"
Her tone grew colder as she looked toward the northern mountains, shrouded in rain and mist—blurry yet imposing.
"Could it be that the Hidden Leaf Village has made progress with both Artificial Tailed Beasts and Wood Release clones?"
To this, the injured jonin shook his head: "We can't confirm it entirely, and that Wood Release seemed more like a Grass Plant Release technique."
Wood Release is Wood Release.
Grass Release is Grass Release.
The two are similar but not the same concept.
Riki stood up, withdrawing her gaze: "Would the Land of Rain dare to cooperate so deeply with the Hidden Leaf?"
Her voice was low. Riki was not only the Two-Tails' container but also one of the era's perfect Jinchuriki.
From within her, a wisp of blue flame seeped out in the rain, the scorching Chakra mingling with the cold rain, instantly steaming into white mist.
An eerie light flickered in Riki's pupils.
The Two-Tails told me that deep in those mountains, there's a very familiar Chakra.
Not a human presence, more like... Tailed Beast Remnants.
"Tailed Beast Remnants...?!"
The Cloud Ninja's expressions changed drastically.
Could it really be an Artificial Tailed Beast?
Riki narrowed her eyes: "This matter must be investigated."
"Lady Riki, that area is very dangerous."
An injured jonin gritted his teeth, "Advancing recklessly now is too risky. Shouldn't we wait for reinforcements?"
Riki looked up at the distant thunderclouds, where lightning flashed and the faint roar of explosions could be heard.
"Reinforcements? Do you think we have time to wait?"
She paused, her hand brushing over the hilt of her sword:
"The conflict between Hanzo, Chiyo, and White Fang is about to erupt completely. The Rain Village will descend into chaos. That will be our best opportunity."
"Once they're done fighting, it won't be so easy for us to penetrate deeper into the Land of Rain."
"But..."
"There are no buts." Riki cut off the jounin, her voice soft yet leaving no room for argument.
"I'll handle this matter alone."
As she spoke, an eerie glint flashed in Riki's eyes.
With the appearance of the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki, Black Zetsu's expression changed.
"The Two-Tailed Jinchuriki wants to investigate this place?"
Instinctively, Black Zetsu sensed this situation posed great danger to the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki.
Because he instinctively felt that within this Breeding House lay hidden a terrifying power.
In the different dimension, the roots of the World Tree intertwined like giant dragons.
Shiroishi stood at the convergence point of the roots, his palm pressed against the trunk, faint Chakra patterns glowing at his fingertips.
Through continuous absorption during this period, the World Tree's perception range could now extend across the entire Land of Rain.
Within the Land of Rain's borders.
No powerful Chakra wave could escape its detection.
Just moments ago, he had captured a particular Chakra signature.
That power burned like flames, yet carried a wild spirituality, as if blue shadows danced within the fire.
"This is..."
Shiroishi's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.
"The Two-Tails."
He murmured softly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"To come into contact with a Jinchuriki so soon after beginning our operations."
He slowly withdrew his hand, the World Tree's glow dimming behind him as it was replaced by circular spatial ripples.
At that moment, he raised his right hand, the Chakra ring on his finger emitting a soft light.
It was a ring he had crafted himself, using Natural Chakra as a medium to project the wearer's image.
With a faint glow, three phantom images materialized before him.
Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan.
Shiroishi spoke first: "Nagato, the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki has approached the Breeding House's perimeter. I'll handle this personally."
Before Nagato could respond, Yahiko interjected: "I'd like to test the Tailed Beast's power too."
Shiroishi shook his head: "You and Charizard still need more training to synchronize properly."
Konan glanced at Shiroishi with concern, but he smiled: "Don't worry, I have a way to deal with Tailed Beasts."
"Additionally, Ivysaur's evolution... is just one step away."
Having absorbed various energies during this period, Ivysaur had indeed reached the final preparation for evolution.
Naturally, Ivysaur would remain in the rear, handling Chakra absorption and conversion.
Nagato said: "Be careful. I'll provide support from the rear if needed."
"Mm." Shiroishi nodded lightly before raising his hand to cut off the ring communication.
The light images dissipated as he turned, his gaze piercing through layers of light screens to focus on a specific coordinate in the real world.
Just as Shiroishi watched, the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki Riki had reached her destination.
She raced across the wasteland of the Land of Rain, her black cloak billowing in the wind like burning shadows.
Chakra gathered beneath her feet into trails of blue flames, each step leaving scorch marks in the air.
"So this is the Breeding House..."
She came to a stop, gazing at the wooden cabin standing silently in the rain curtain in the distance.
The cabin appeared aged, its roof covered in moss, walls entwined with vines, but Riki's intuition told her something extremely dangerous lay hidden within.
Narrowing her eyes, sapphire Chakra light flowed from her pupils.
Tailed Beast Chakra churned within her body, the Two-Tails' ethereal blue flame patterns slowly manifesting behind her.
"I can sense it," she murmured to herself, her voice cold as ice, "that presence... is here."
She extended her hand, gathering Chakra mixed with lightning and flame in her palm, instantly evaporating the muddy water beneath her feet.
She did not attack immediately but tilted her head slightly, sensing the faint, elusive fluctuations deep within the building.
In the darkness, Black Zetsu watched the scene with a complicated expression.
He always had a feeling that the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki would find it difficult to achieve victory here.
And indeed, within the World Tree's domain in the Land of Rain, Shiroishi possessed a terrifying advantage from the terrain.
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